In the Zurich countryside, an imposing concrete tower twenty-three meters high stands proudly in Andelfingen. It is not a new skyscraper, but the heart of a unique device in Switzerland: the first training center dedicated to rescue in the event of floods.
Installation allows the devastating effects of a violent summer thunderstorm to be simulated. With a flow rate of 500 liters of water per second, the tower pours 350,000 liters of water in closed circuit, flooding fictitious spaces such as sidewalks, cellars and underground garages.
“It is very special for us, because we have very close training possibilities, very close to reality,” said Thomas Benz, chief of civil protection of the canton of Zurich on Monday in the RTS morning.
>> Listen to the interview with Thomas Benz, chief of civil protection of the canton of Zurich, in the morning. ::
Multiple scenarios
The entire system is controlled by tablets, allowing precise management of simulations. Participants will learn to properly have sandbags, divert water flows and minimize material and human damage in ultra-realistic conditions.
>> Images of the training center:
“Participants will be able to learn to manage situations such as reflux of water in the streets, by exercising the implementation of effective evacuation systems. They will also train in rescue techniques in flooded cellars, as well as the creation of access to facilitate the pumping of water in these confined spaces”, explains Ueleli Müller, trainer for firefighters.
Ecological management
To save drinking water, the water is constantly repressed in the tower. Only twelve minutes are necessary to fill the tower again. For a year, the same bodies of water will be used, which will eventually give them an unpleasant odor, thus faithfully reproducing the real conditions of a flood.
-Andelfingen is not at his first test in terms of training in emergency situations. For more than fifty years, the intervention forces have been able to train in an artificial village. In addition to the new flood installation, there are residential houses, a service station and artificial business buildings in which a fire can be declared.
Training will officially start in 2026. And the following year, teams from all over Switzerland will be able to come and train.
>> (re) also listen to the episode of point J “Why is there so many floods?” ::
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Text, photos and video: Valentin Jordil
